THE 130-year-old original home of Worcestershire County Cricket Club is threatened with demolition.

The black and white timbered pavilion is a major part of the county's sporting past and once hosted England's legendary batsman W G Grace.

The building in Boughton Sports Ground, also known as the Cinderella Ground, in Bransford Road, St John's, is next to a former Kays factory, which was sold in 2003.

New owners SJS Property Management has twice failed to secure planning permission for housing on the empty factory site. Now it has announced plans to demolish the pavilion.

The Worcester News is campaigning alongside Worcester City Council to save the historic building from the bulldozers.

Will Scott, the city's principal conservation officer, appealed to Worcester residents and county cricket fans to join the fight.

He said: "The pavilion is now in grave danger.

"It is a link between Worcestershire's cricketing past and present and without intervention this local asset will be lost forever."

Worcestershire County Cricket Club moved to New Road in 1899, but the pavilion continued to be used by Kays Cricket Team until it was declared unsafe in September 2005.

Paul O'Connor, Worcester City Council's planning manager, said the demolition plan came like a "bolt from the blue".

He said: "We were sent a formal notice, under the Building Act, informing us they planned to demolish the building in six weeks' time.

"As soon as we got that we contacted English Heritage, who can declare it listed."

Fearing it will take too long to secure listed building status, the city council has imposed a building preservation notice, which means the owners must ask before carrying out any work.

Mr O'Connor said the pavilion was not already listed because it had never been under threat before.

"The pavilion is on the council's list of buildings of local significance, but unfortunately that does not give it protection," he said.

"Worcester prides itself on its glorious past and this building forms an integral part of the city's sporting history. We will do everything we can to dissuade the owners from demolishing the building.

"It is important, however, that we make people aware the future of the pavilion hangs in the balance."

Mark Newton, chief executive of Worcestershire CCC, said: "We have heard about the situation and we were aware that something may happen. We would like to see it remain in place as part of the heritage of this city.

"It's not directly our responsibly to ensure that but we keen to see this campaign succeed."